216 MARRIAGE IMPEDIMENTS 



First of all they are divided into (i) forbidding, (2) 

 nullifying, (3) public, (4) occult, (5) impediments of 

 minor and (6) of major grade. The four last divisions 

 are made principally to facilitate dispensations, and this 

 treatise will not suffer if we disregard them entirely. 

 But we must say a few words about the forbidding and 

 nullifying impediments as modified by the new Code. 



I. Forbidding Impediments. — Forbidding impedi- 

 ments (impedimenta impcdicntia) are those which inter- 

 dict a marriage under pain of mortal sin, yet do not ren- 

 der it invalid if it is contracted in spite of the prohibition. 

 The state of mortal sin or excommunication prohibits 

 marriage, though this is usually not counted as a forbid- 

 ding impediment. The forbidding impediments in the 

 strict sense are: 



1. The prohibition of the Church, vis., if the Pope for 

 the whole Church, or the bishop for his diocese inter- 

 dicts an intended marriage for grave reasons. Such rea- 

 sons would be, for instance : 



(a) Grave suspicion that impediments exist to the pro- 

 posed marriage; 



(b) Fear that the marriage will cause great trouble ; 



(c) Refusal of parents to give their consent to the 

 marriage of their children, etc. 



The Church also forbids (a) Marriage between a Cath- 

 olic and a non-Catholic; and (/?) Marrying without the 

 publication of the banns. 



2. Solemn marriages are forbidden from the first Sun- 

 day of Advent, inclusive, till the day after Christmas, ex- 

 clusive, and from Ash Wednesday, inclusive, till the Mon- 

 day after Easter, exclusive. During this time marriages 

 may take place, but without the solemn blessing of the 

 bride or any worldly celebration. 



3. A simple vow of virginity, of perfect chastity, of 



